Thanksgiving Basket Donations

November 14 update: The Goodman Community Center has committed to serving 3,900 Dane County families in need with groceries to prepare a traditional, home-cooked meal to share with their loved ones this Thanksgiving. The Center will only meet that demand with help from people throughout the community. Gifts have steadily been coming in for this year’s Thanksgiving Drive, but more food is needed to give every family a complete Thanksgiving Basket.

GCC Executive Director Becky Steinhoff is convinced the community will come through, “We’re grateful for all the gifts that have been coming in, but we’ve got a ways to go if we’re going to have all the foods needed to provide all 3,900 families with groceries for their holiday meal. It’s a bit nerve-racking, but this community has never let the families down.”

The Center begins packing the nearly 8,000 bags — 2 bags of food for each family — on Friday night, Nov. 16 and will be distributing baskets Saturday, Nov. 17 through Monday, Nov. 19.

Here is how to help:

1) Donate food. – The most needed food is frozen turkeys; dressing; mac & cheese; canned fruit, cranberry sauce, and broth. Disposable roasting pans are also needed. More than a thousand of each item is still needed.

2) Too busy to shop? Let Ed “TurkeyED” Jepsen buy turkeys for you. Make a gift of $25 or more at goodmancenter.org/donate and note it’s for "TurkeyED" and he’ll use your dollars to purchase turkeys and deliver them to Goodman. He’ll start shopping Nov. 14 when GCC has freezer storage on-site and he’ll keep shopping as long as gifts come in. Keep him busy... go, TurkeyED, GO!

3) Make a financial gift. Help GCC purchase turkeys and perishable items such as milk, eggs, butter, celery, carrots, potatoes and onions. Donations are accepted online at goodmancenter.org/donate, in person at the Goodman Community Center reception desk, or by mail.

Goodman Community Center, 149 Waubesa Street, Madison, WI 53704

Where to bring your donations: Now through Nov. 19 bring food donations during any hours the Center is open. The earlier donations are made the better as volunteers begin packing baskets Friday, November 16. If the Center receives gifts that exceed the need for Thanksgiving Baskets, gifts will help support Goodman’s Fritz Food Pantry, which helps about 500 families each month, or food programs that provide nutritious meals for kids and older adults every day.